Awkward Conversations
by NicNack4U
Summary: Takes place after the movie and AFD episode. A/H pair, P/H friendship, hints to G/P. Please read! I promise it's really good! Arnold has hurt Helga and now has to make it up to her. Meanwhile, Helga's got some issuses with letting people see who she is.


**Awkward Conversations**

**A "Hey Arnold!" Fanfic**

**Written/Typed by: NicNack4U**

**Date/Time: Sunday, April 13, 2008**

**Start:**** 3:38 PM **

**Genre: Romance/Friendship/Angst/General/Drama**

**Main Char: Arnold, Helga**

**Main Pair: A/H**

The students and teachers of P.S. 118 stood in front of the school's pool in the gym. Their faces all expressed one emotion: shock. Well, of course they were shocked. They had a reason to be. Arnold, do-gooder of the neighborhood who always looked out onto the bright side had done what nobody, not even Helga, dreamed of him doing. He had done the unthinkable; the _unexplainable_. He had just danced a feisty tango on the dance floor with the apparently "blinded" Helga G. Pataki! Not only that, but he also hd the guts to throw her into the gyms' pool, too! Never in a million years had Arnold _ever _thought of getting back at Helga. But he did. He had finally decided that enough was enough!

But, even now, upon looking back at what he had just done caused waves of regret and shame wash through him. Sure, it was supposed to be a harmless act of revenge, but even Arnold knew that it had turned into so much more.

Dancing with her, _tangoing _with her felt.._right. _It made him feel as if though he could hold her all night like that, not caring who saw them. Because then, they had _their _moment. It was just _them_ on that floor and nobody else.

_And now it's ruined, _he thought sadly as he ducked his head down in shame. _It's all my fault. I know she was just playing a innocent prank, but I just had to turn it into something that made everything worse between us. She'll never trust me again. She'll never want to see me or speak to me ever again. Because of me._ Hot tears mixed in with the cold pool water on Arnold's face as he silently cried, happy nobody could see him like that.

Nobody, he realized with a start, except Helga. He lifted his head a little, looking at the shivering girl in front of him. He suddenly felt himself dying a little inside as he saw the hurt and pain in her eyes. He could also see that she was fighting back tears.

"Helga..," he said in a barely audiable whisper. _Good. I hope no one does hear this. This is between me and her. Us only._ "I..I'm sorry, Helga. I'm _so sorry_."

He bit his lip in anticipation, waiting..._wondering _what she would do; what she would _say _to him. He felt his heart crumble when she scowled at him. It wasn't the usual scowl she gave him. No, this one was different. It was one that carried sadness and a hint of depression behind it, and that scared him a _whole _lot. "S-s-_sorry?!_," she spat out the word as if it were sour milk. She must've been _really _hurt and angry beacuse she was also stuttering. She scoffed and shook her head. "N-n-_no! _You _can't _be _sorry! _Y-you can't be because now..now I know the truth. Y-y-you're just l-like the r-rest of t-t-them! You h-h-h-hate me! And I'll bet that y-you always h-have, too! Right?! A-am I r-right, _Football-Head?!_"

Her ranting stopped, and now she was sobbing so hard that she wet the floor more than it was. She shook her head sadly. "I..I j-just c-cant b-b-believe y-you, A-Arnold! Why?! Why d-did y-you do it?! D-do you r-really h-hate m-me that m-much l-like everyone e-else does?!"

Arnold gasped in horror. His expression bore the same emotion he felt. "_Hate _you?! _No_, Helga! That's not how I feel about you _at all_! You _know _that, Helga!" _Please, Helga. Please, believe me. I would never try to hurt you, ever! _

Helga's eyes now narrowed dangerously into slits and her scowl deepened. Her voice came out in a hiss full of venom that was only meant for Arnold. "_Oh, really? _Well, if you _don't hate me_ as much as you claim you don't, then why did you do that?! _Why _did you make up this..this whole plan to get back at me for playing a few harmless April Fools' panks on you, _why _did you let me _embarrass myself for the whole entire school to see, _and _why _did you _dance with me like that, push me into the pool, and just suddenly assume that everything is okay now and back to normal?! _Things between us, aren't normal anymore Arnold, and I don't think they ever will be. So, _thank you _for tonight, Arnold. I really _apprieciate what you've just done!"_

And with those words, she pushed past him and everyone else as she ran home, crying all the while. Everyone who followed Helga with their eyes suddenly stared at Arnold. He ducked is head back down, staring at the floor as he wept loudly, not caring at all about his friends or teachers who had seen.

Phoebe, long-time best friend and confidant of Helga's, glared at the boy next to her, Arnold's best friend, Gerald. Sure, she had a crush on him ever since they went to the Cheese Festival together, but what he and Arnold had done was, in her opinion, _completely unforgivable! _She hissed,"I hope that you are _really happy _now, Gerald Johannssen, because what you've just made Arnold do can't be changed or reversed. They were finally getting along, and..everything, and you've completely _ruined _it! I seriously hope Arnold fixes this and I really do so hope that Arnold re-thinks his friendship with you, because obviously your bad influence on his normal behavior has finally rubbed off on him! I honestly wouldn't be suprised that he never spoke to you again, because I know I won't either unless you help him fix this mess between them!" Giving him one last death glare, Phoebe stomped away from Gerald and ran to catch up with Helga, hoping she wasn't too late.

Gerald sighed. _Pheebs is right, as usual. This isn't Arnold's or Helga's fault, it's mine! I really hope that I _can _fix this before it's too late. _Now, thinkng back on what he told Arnold to do with Helga earlier that day made him cringe. _I just hope Arnold's not mad at me. Or worse..._he winced again._ Oh, great! Way to go, Gerald! Because of you, Arnold's probably blaming himself right now!_ He glanced at Arnold, who sure enough, looked like he was blaming this all on himself. Gerald groaned. _Why is it, that when I come up with something that sounds good in my head, it sounds bad when me or somebody acts out these plans?! Can someone just please_

_explain that to me? No? Oh, well._

He sighed again and walked to where Arnold still stood, sobbing uncontrollably this time. Glaring at the people who were still watching the scene nosily, he said,"Hey, ya mind if we have some privacy?"

Said "people" who were watching quickly scurried in either corners to gossip about what just happened, or to the door to head home and get some sleep.

Nodding his head in slight satisfaction, Gerald turned back to his friend."Hey, you okay, buddy?" He winced at how cheerful he just sounded. _I really hope I'm making this better!_

Arnold did another thing he'd never do, but did just then anyway: he laughed bitterly."Am I okay?," he repeated rehetorically. "Am I _okay?" _His reply was now ironic and sarcastic. "Gerald, I just hurt a girl that I just now realized has always played an important role in my life, you just got yelled at by said girls' best friend, I'm feeling _terrible_ right now, and you have the _nerve _to ask me if I'm _okay_?"

For what he felt like was the hundreth time that night, Gerald winced. Then, his eyes widened. _Wait just one second! Did Arnold just confess that he actually might like-like Helga?! Well, not that it's a bad thing or anything like that, I'm just a little surprised that's all. I mean, Lila shows up, he starts to like-like her, then something like this with Helga happens, and he likes her! And, that's not necessarily a bad thing at all. I trust Helga with him. Probably moreso with her than any other girl Arnold's "liked."_

Gerald shrugged, trying to act like his cool-self. "Yeah, you're my best friend, y'know, and I just wanna make sure you're okay. I mean, I know this whole thing was really _my _fault, and I deserve it if you never wanna be friends with me again and..."

Now, Gerald was rambling and Arnold tried to interrupt him."Gerald..." _Why won't he listen to me?! _

But Gerald didn't hear what Arnold said. So, he kept talking."...I know Helga and I aren't the best of friends, either, but..."

Arnold interrupted him again, but this time, he was a little louder. "GERALD!" _There. Maybe now I can explain to him!_

Gerald jumped back a bit in surprise."Acckk!!" He put a hand over his heart and panted. "Geez, man, warn me the next time you wanna yell in my ear!," he said jokingly. And he was smiling.

Arnold chuckled a little and smiled slightly. "Sorry, Ger, but you were talking _way _too much for me to handle right now."

Gerald rolled his eyes in mock hurt. "Well**! **Sorr-yyyy! I'll make sure to never talk again!"

Arnold was now fully smiling. "C'mon, Gerald, y'know that's not what I meant!"

Gerald chuckled sheepishly and smirked. "Heh. Uh, I knew I that."

His friend nodded. "Sure, whatever you say, Gerald."

They stopped their friendly banter and became uncomfortably quiet. Well, until Gerald spoke up again, that is. "Look, man, I just wanted to say that this wasn't your fault. It was mine. And I'm sorry."

Arnold shook his head wildly. "No, Gerald. It _wasn't _your fault. It was mine. I let my anger towards Helga finally get the best of me,

and I hurt her. If it's anybody's fault.."

He shook his head slightly now, barely moving it. "..it's _mine_." _It is. It's all my fault. It's all my fault that I didn't tell Helga how I felt about her sooner, like she did to me on the Future Tech. Idustries rooftop! It's all my fault she still hates Lila, and it's all my fault that she's kept up her reputation as my tormentor and the school bully! Well, up until now, anyway._

Gerald's eyes widened, and he shook his head. _Mm-mm-mm!! Man, he really must be dense! Can't he see that this is my fault?_

"No. It's _not_ your fault, Arnold, and I really wish that you'd stop telling yourself that long enough to see that this is really _my _fault! _I'm_

the one to blame here, man, _not _you!"

Arnold sighed defeatingly and lowered his gaze. "I know it's not my fault. It's just..I..I felt like it really was, you know? It just felt like all my happiness disappeared when Helga left to go home. It felt like..like if I don't make up with her right now, then...I'll lose her, forever."

Gerald tilted his head and smiled at his friend teasingly. "You are way too deep for your own good, you know that, right?"

Arnold smirked playfully and said in a mock-arrogant tone: "I know."

Gerald laughed. "Wow, Arnold. You just managed to shock the heck out of me _three _times today! First, the camera that blinded Helga temporarily, then the stunt with the dance and the pool, now _this_!"

Arnold guiltily looked away from Gerald and sighed sadly. "Yeah..."

Gerald stopped laughing when he saw the look on Arnold's face. "Aw, man, I'm sorry, Arnold. I didn't mean to make you feel guilty.

I told you, it's _my _fault it happened."

But, Arnold wasn't listening. Nor did he even respond. Instead, he tried to make the situation light and happy again. So, with a teasing smile, he said jokngly, "Y'know, maybe what happened today and tonight is both of our faults."

Noticing what his friend was trying to do, he nodded in agreement and acceptance. "Yeah. It's both of our faults."

Arnold nodded. "Yeah."

Now that that was out of the way, Gerald wanted to know something, "So, buddy, what are we gonna do now?"

Arnold's teasing smile was back. "Go find the girls and apologize for treating them like dirt? And hope they'll forgive us?"

Gerald nodded and agreed. "Sounds like a good plan to me, buddy. Let's go." _I just hope Arnold's right. Maybe if we just explain to them what happened exactly why it happened, they'll forgive us! ..I hope._

-**.**--

Phoebe rubbed Helga's back slowly and softly while she cried on her shoulder. The Pataki household was currently empty, save for the two, because Olga had some award ceremony to go to, and of course their parents went along with her to praise her, yet again, for winning a trophy. But, it really wasn't just some trophy, as they had put it. It was the award for **Best Student-Teacher Of The Year**. Olga had recieved it when she volunteered to be Simmons' aide in Helga's class, but hadn't been able to retrieve it, until now, and apparently there was some party or ceremony going on in her honor.

"Shh..don't worry, Helga. It's alright. Everything's going to be just fine," Phoebe whispered in her best friends' ear in, what she hoped,

was a soothing and calming manner.

Helga sniffled and lifted her head off of Phoebe's shoulder. "N-no it's _not_, Pheebs! E-everything's gone h-horribly _wrong _tonght! T-This wasn't s-s-supposed to h-ha-h-_happen! _Now, because of that _stupid Football-Head_, everything is competely..r-r-_ruined!_" Now a flow of tears were escaping, and Phoebe thought she might've created a river in her own bedroom. She sighed and shook her head. _Okay, that's it. If Arnold's not going to call her, or even come by to apolgize, then I've got to fix this situation myself! _

Helga, who was still sobbing uncontrollably, suddenly came to a stop as she felt Phoebe's grip on her tighten. Mixed with confusion and worry, she looked at her best friend, hoping to get an explanation. Instead, she got something else. "Helga, listen to me. You have got to stop crying. Crying isn't going to help you. It will only make things worse. Now, listen to me, because I've got something important to say, and I want you to hear it. Can you please listen to what I have to say?"

Intrigued by what her friend could possibly want to tell her at a time like this, Helga nodded and smiled slightly. "Y-Yeah, Pheebs. Of course I'll listen to what you have to say."

Glad that Helga really was interested and not sarcastic or hostile, Phoebe hurried on before Helga wanted to change her mind. "Okay, good. Now, please keep in mind that what I'm about to say is simply based upon hypothesis and observation, and not at all factual, unless I'm for once mistaken. Okay?"

Helga nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Please, continue."

Phoebe gave a slight nod in satisfaction and smiled. "Good. Listen, I believe that the reason Arnold followed through with Gerald's planned prank was because he was just doing what Gerald told him to do. He believed Gerald when he told Arnold that it was the right thing to do. Now, given that Arnold has a kind and forgiving nature, he just finally decided that enough was enough. He was tired of being bullied by you, but I also believe that he was tired of.." she paused for dramatic effect to see if she still had Helga's attention. She did. Good. "..waiting for you."

Having finished the first part of her speech, she glanced at Helga with a sly eye. She fought back a giggle when she saw the state her friend was in. She looked like a fish out of water, complete with a slacked jaw and eyes almost completely pulled from their sockets. She also looked like a fish becaue her mouth kept opening and closing, probably speechless and having almost no clue how to respond.

Finally, Helga _did _respond. And in the exact same way Phoebe predicted she would. "I..what..how..? Phoebe! Are you actually suggesting that Arnold might..might be..?" She paused, waiting for Phoebe to confirm her thought.

Still keeping up her sly apperance, Phoebe nodded. "Yes, Helga. That's exactly what I believe. And I have reason to believe that it may be true."

Helga shook her head. "But..I..I don't understand! When..when did he..?"

Phoebe sighed and slowly her sly demeanor vanished. "Well, see, that's what I don't know, either. But.."

Helga waved her to go on. "But? But what, Pheebs?"

Phoebe continued on. "BUT, I may come to the conclusion that Arnold may have realized it simply just a few short days after you helped he and Gerald save our neighborhood. And, I also believe that during that time process, while thinking of you more, he began to think less of Lila or any other girl he might have liked in the past. And, while thinking of you more and Lila less, he may have had reason to believe that it really was nothing to worry about, and he may have tried to deny it, but perhaps maybe you were on his mind much more, and he began to accept it, and wanted to hide it simply by doing what he thought was the right thing: hiding it. He hid it not only from you or anyone else but he also hid it from Gerald out of fear of being accused as perhaps maybe 'sick', so he got tired of it when April Fools' Day came because that meant petty insults and pranks from you, and that made him feel all the more depressed that he couldn't tell you, and so, he and Gerald devised a plan of action. Arnold thought that, by getting back at you, he was just trying to do what you wanted to do: go back to the way things were before you confessed you feelings to him. But, by doing that, he had caused himself to hurt you and realize too late that a silly holiday simply just wasn't the right time to return any feelings whatsoever. And, based upon our friends, hide from as much ridicule as possible."

Helga blinked in surprise. "Wow, Pheebs. So, do..do you really think that that's...?"

Phoebe let out the air she was holding while presenting her theory and nodded. "Yes, Helga. I believe so."

Helga nodded, and looked off towards her closet, which was closed. "Okay. Okay."

Suddenly, before Phoebe could even ask her what she was doing, Helga leaped up off her bed and grabbed her light purple jacket, which usually hung from her computer chair. Sprinting towards the door, Helga then turned to her friend before turning the knob. "So,

are you coming or not?"

Phoebe blinked in confusion. "Helga, where are you going?! It's nearly one in the morning!"

Glancing at her alarm clock, Helga noted that her friend was once again right. But, she had to go. She had to do this. "I know, but this is important! I've got to talk to Arnold, and it can't wait!"

Smiling at her friends' usual persistence, Phoebe nodded. "Okay. I'll come with you. But, do you even know where he and Gerald might've gone? The school has been closed for over half-an-hour, so I don't think that they'd still be there."

Helga nodded, suddenly biting her lip in thought, leaning against her bedroom doorframe. "Yeah, you're right. But, I don't think they went home, either, which means that they must be at the park. So, that's where I'm.. _we_ are going."

Phoebe nodded. "Well, alright then." She grinned. "Let's go!" _I just hope we're not too late_, she thinks as she rushes down the stairs and out the door with Helga, allowing the front door to close with a loud bang. They didn't care nor notice, though. They had more important matters to care for.

They were both silent on the walk to the park. Both had too much to think about to talk to one another. They said what needed to be said. That, and they were just enjoying the warm and comforting summer breeze that flew past them as they marched foward.

Suddenly, and so abtruptly that Phoebe wasn't even anticipating it, Helga had stopped walking, and was now facing her best friend.

"Pheobe, I..," she paused, shaking her head. Phoebe took notice of her friends' hesitation and worry, and was beginning to worry as well. So, she then asked, "Helga? What's wrong? Something bothering you?"

Helga sighed, shaking her head once again. "Yes, and I would like to tell you, but I'm not going to trouble you with my worries." She tried faking a smile, but both girls knew that something was bothering her, and it needed to be said.

Phoebe put an arm around Helga's shoulders, bringing her closer. She searched Helga's face for any indication of what was wrong with the girl, but found none. Her mood was neutral, and her eyes remained expressionless. It almost brought tears to the Asian-American's eyes, but she blinked them back quickly for Helga's sake. "Helga," she said, barely above a whisper. "Helga, if there is somethng that is bothering you, please, _tell me_. We're best friends; ..we tell each other _everything! _Please, Helga, tell me what's wrong! I could probably help you and make it all better!"

Helga sighed sadly and shook her head. "I know. This is just something that I wish you could make better; that you could help me take back, but you can't, and I can't. It's too late." She shook her head, crying openly now, and Phoebe gasped at the heart-wrenching sobs comng from her.

Helga shook her head again, whispering low enough for Phoebe to lean closer and hear. "It's too late. Nothing I can do to fix what's been done or said."

Phoebe blinked in confusion. "Wha..-What are you talking about, Helga? What can't be fixed?"

Helga wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and sniffed. "I..I'm talking about _me_, Pheebs! This whole entire day, including what happened a few hours ago, is my fault! It's all my fault! It always is! I try to be nice, but I just end up hurting everyone! I snap,

scowl, shake my fist and make threats! When I at least _try _to be nice, that doesn't go well either, and I end up being defensive and putting back up my walls and when I do that, everyone _hates _me! No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to trust everyone around me, and that makes it hard to get Arnold to notice me! He hates me, just like everyone else, _because _of _me!_"

Phoebe gasped as Helga allowed tears to flow freely down her eyes, past her cheeks, and onto the sidewalk they were standing on.

She was in quite a shock. Never has Helga ever talked about herself this way, and it frightened Phoebe greatly. She shook her head wildly and looked sternly at Helga. "Helga G. Pataki, you listen to me, and listen to me good. Nothing, and I mean _nothing at all_ is your fault! If it's anybody's fault, it's the ones who treated you badly over the years, including your parents! I can't believe you would ever think that _anything _was your fault! It's not, Helga!"

Helga shook her head in denial. "Yes, it is, Phoebe! It's _all my fault!_" _It's all my fault. Everything is. I pushed everyone too far, and now they truly hate me. _

A crowd was now circled around the two, curious to know what they were talking about. They were also giving her strange looks. Helga nodded, as if expecting it. "There, Pheebs! You see?! See?!" She was now pointing and gesturing wildly, more than she did when talking to her locket. Phoebe smiled. Helga looked confused. _Okay, Pheebs, what's with the smile? _"You want to know what I see, Helga?"

Helga blinked. _What? What are you talking 'bout now, Pheebs? What is it you see? Will you tell me? _"W-what do you see, Pheebs?"

Phoebe's smile widened. "I see you, Helga. I see a scared and lonely little girl slowly dying inside because of the lack of love she got in the past. I see a noble, kind, sweet, honorable, shy, quick thinking, fast punching, pink wearing, wrestling watching, sarcastic,

funny, beautiful little girl who _needs _to be loved; who _wants _to be loved. But, she can't. Want to know why?"

The whole time during Phoebe's rant, Helga was silent. It's not that she _didn't _want to say anything. No, it's that she _couldn't_. She was speechless. She didn't know what to do or say. Smiling at her reaction, Phoebe continued on, "It's because she won't let herself. She has all of these amazing friends and family right behind her, proud of her, backing her up one-hundred-and-ten percent. She has all of these wonderful opprotunities to show the world just who she really is. She has an endless amount of time to show everyone just what she can really do, and yet..." She paused dramatically, looking around the crowd, pleased to find Arnold and Gerald finally among the throng of people listening in. Her gaze finally rested back onto Helga, and shook her head sadly."...she won't let them see. She's too afraid now. She's too deep into the darkness to let anyone catch her and bring her back into the light."

Phoebe stopped talking now, and looked up at her friend. Phoebe gasped. Helga was crying! And she was smiling, too! "Helga..?"

Helga laughed. It wasn't her usual mock laugh, but it was one that was light and happy, one so contagious that had Phoebe soon laughing along as well.

Helga smiled after their laughter died down, quickly bringing Phoebe into a hug. "You're right, Pheebs," she whispered. "You're right,

just like always." Phoebe was joyed to find that she was joking and laughed again. "Of course I'm right! I am smart, you know!"

Helga nodded. "I know!" They erupted into giggles as everyone cheered and clapped. They were too busy to notice Arnold and Gerald sneaking up behind them and pulling them into a big bear hug.

"I'm sorry, Helga. Forgive me?," Arnold whispered into their embrace. Helga smiled teasngly. "Of course... Football-Head."

Arnold laughed. "You're never going to stop calling me that, are you?"

Helga smirked. "Never!"

Arnold smiled. "Good. I don't want you to. It's kinda grown onto me." He blushed.

Now it was Helga who laughed. "I hope so! I've been calling you that since we've met, y'know!"

Arnold's smile widened. His eyes twinkled. "I know."

Helga became shy. "Hey, Arnold?"

"Yes, Helga?"

Helga blushed. "Uh, what I said, y'know, back there on the FTi roof? I..I meant what I said."

Arnold smiled widened more, showing his teeth now. He nudged Helga playfully. "I know." He then whispered the three words Helga thought he'd _never _say to her: "I love you, Helga. Everyone else can say that we're too young to know what love is or what it means, but we do know. We can both feel it. And I don't care what they all say. I'm in love with you."

Helga gasped. A lone tear trickled down her cheek, and she smiled when Arnold wiped it away. She smiled lovingly. "I'm in love with you, too..Football-Head."

And they finally kissed, just as the sun was starting to rise up to start a brand new chapter to their lives. But that, is for another story, another time.

**..:THE END!:..**

**END NOTES: Hi, all! Sorry this wasn't up sooner. Busy, busy! Plus, my birthday is coming up, so I've been busy with preparing for the big party!! That, and I needed some inspiration for the end to this, and I FINALLY got it!! **

**Inspiration credit goes to these performers and their songs:**

**1) Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis**

**2) Stop & Stare by OneRepublic**

**3) No One by Alicia Keys**

**4) Whatever It Takes by Lifehouse**

**5) You And Me by Lifehouse**

**6) Pocketful Of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield**

**Please take note that I do not own these songs and give full credit to their wonderful singer/songwriters!! If you haven't yet, please listen to the FABULOUS inspiration that went to this story!! They are truly wonderful songs with powerful beats and beautiful lyrics, so if you can, go listen to them now!! Thank you. :)**

**STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I am in no way, shape, or form Craig Bartlett, so therefore I do not own these wondeful characters or their fabulous show!! **

**Finished:**** Friday, May 16, 2008, 1:55 PM. (2 more days 'til my big b-day!!) :)**


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